


honey and embers

by capuletta



Category: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:53:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27590278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/capuletta/pseuds/capuletta
Summary: this is an urban fantasy au
Relationships: Jude Duarte/Cardan Greenbriar
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	honey and embers

Galley was built on a graveyard. The skeletal remains of broken bottles made up the bones, keg-flow the marrow. And all the while, patrons hemorrhaged regret. It was a building constructed from death and vice.

There was just enough cigarette smoke saturating the air to keep a person on edge. Jude took a deep gulp from her glass, clenching her fist as she fought the desire to binge. Her throat burned, but she was glad she didn’t cough. When she set her glass down a bit too hard, she softened the action with gentle fingertips tracing a cool wet edge.

Fuck this. The rail spike in her pocket swayed as she stood, tapping her torso as if in reminder. It took a moment too long for Jude to remember she had a tab. She fumbled with her bag, fighting for the moment of dominance when she finally slid the card across the bar. Her gaze latched unforgivingly upon Liliver, the bartender. Smooth brown skin, enough highlight to drive a woman mad, and legs for days.

Lil zipped along the back of the bar, jerking a cocktail shaker in one hand and filling a row of shot glasses in the other. She turned to slam the shot glasses on the wood in front of one of her regulars who had followed her from her own bar, flashing a smile. When she turned again, she grimaced at the back wall. He was super creepy and old but at least he tipped well. If only he would stop leaving his phone number on the $100 bills...

She emptied the cocktail shaker into a glass and trailed down the bar to deliver it to another customer. She turned and slammed the shot she’d purposely left on the back of the bar and flinched as she heard Fand break another glass. Turning, she raised an eyebrow at the girl. Fand was a friend of her sister’s, hence the reason Lil was filling in at a bar other than the one she owned. As she turned, she saw a familiar face out of the corner of her eye, not far from Fand

“Hooooooly shit,” she blew out a whistle as she made her way over, “If it isn’t Ellfhame’s favorite hoe in the flesh.” She flashed a wicked grin at Jude and very obviously checked her out.  
“Looking good, Jude” she added as she poured herself a glass of whiskey. 

Jude looked up at the sound of her name. She blinked stupidly before plastering the rictus of a smile on her face. “Liliver.” The name rolled smoothly off her tongue. Like velvet, yet still puke-worthy. “What are you doing here?”

Lil took a moment to slam her glass before answering.  
“Long story short, Fand is a friend from college. Two of the regular bartenders ran off to Mexico or some shit. I own a bar and I owed a favor so.. here I am.” She shrugged and poured herself another glass. Liliver filled a couple of mugs of patronic beer and refilled creepy-stalker-man’s shot glasses before returning to Jude’s end of the bar.  
“Still fucking your way through New York?” she asked in a teasing voice. 

Jude’s eyes followed her as she worked. Liver was beautiful. Her thick thighs were worthy of prayer. Fuck, she was hot.

It took Jude a minute to relax. "Now I'm almost halfway through Jersey, thank you very much."


End file.
